Actor and filmmaker Jassa Ahluwalia will build upon the ongoing success of his debut short HEART’S EASE by directing and starring in NEAR, a stunning portrait of intimacy from Cristian Solimeno.
Ahluwalia’s bravely and beautifully realised debut, HEART’S EASE, premiered at The Short Cinema, Leicester International Short Film Festival 2018 - where it won BEST FILM - with further festival appearances lined up, including San Diego International Film Festival this October.
Ahluwalia - whose acting credits include PEAKY BLINDERS (BBC Two), SOME GIRLS (BBC Three) and UNFORGOTTEN (ITV) - will also star in NEAR as Robbie, a young urban professional carrying dark clouds with him. Olivier nominee Amy Lennox - seen in SHETLAND for ITV and across West End stages in smash hits Legally Blonde and Kinky Boots - will play Hannah, a photographer forever bottling moments of beauty and searching for her stepfather. The couple connect and wound each other with considered carelessness, in a keenly observed, lyrical portrait of intimacy.
Actor, filmmaker and photographer Cristian Solimeno pens this subtle and subversive story. His genre defying feature film, I MADE THIS FOR YOU, received universal acclaim following its world premiere in association with mental health charity Calm at the East End Film Festival 2018 . His previous short films have won major awards at prestigious festivals, including the Academy Award qualifying Rhode Island International Film Festival.
NEAR will be produced by Watersmeet Productions - consisting of producers Jack Holden and Alastair Mavor. Watersmeet’s first film, BLOOD OUT OF A STONE, received its premiere at BFI Flare 2018 before playing at 6 further international festivals. It was nominated for Best Debut at London’s New Renaissance Film Festival 2018. It will be distributed by Peccadillo Pictures in late 2018.
NEAR is executive produced by Neville Pierce, Esther Paterson and Stefan Allesch-Taylor - the executive producing team behind HEART’S EASE.
NEAR will shoot in early January 2019.
NEAR
Written by Cristian Solimeno
Directed by Jassa Ahluwalia
Starring Jassa Ahluwalia and Amy Lennox
Produced by Jack Holden and Alastair Mavor for Watersmeet Productions
Executive Producers: Neville Pierce, Esther Paterson and Stefan Allesch-Taylor
For further information please contact Jack Holden via https://www.watersmeetproductions.com